End-gate lock.



No. 718.788. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

F. M. OAKES. END GATE LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 27, 1902. :80 MODEL.

2 SHBETSr-SHEET I.

Emmi/ 6 M Gales.

No. 718,788. PATENTEDJAN 20, 1903.

P. M. CAKES. END GATE LOCK.

APPLIOA'iION FILED OCT. 27, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Uirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. OAKES, OF DEFIANCE, OHIO.

END-GATE LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 718,788, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed October 27, 1902. Serial No. 128,972. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. OAKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Defiance, in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End-Gate Locks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in end-gates for wagons, and particularly to the type of gates having a part of the locking mechanism attached to it, in combination with a specific form of locking mechanism which is disposed on the outside of the wagonbody.

The object of the invention is to provide a vertically-hinged end-gate, carrying with it two links pivoted thereto, in combination with an eccentrically-arranged lock fastened on the wagon, which is adapted to be conveniently disconnected when the gate is removed. With this as a primary object I will proceed to describe the details of construction and the mode of operation, the principal features being prominently pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved end-gate applied to a Wagon-body. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the lock released and the gate in the act of being removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of my improved endgate lock. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the lock. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a swivel connection which carries the links connected to the lock. Fig. 6 is a face view of the same.

The numeral 1 represents a portion of a wagon-body having side cleats 2 at its rear end, between which fits an end-gate 3. This end-gate is constructed in two sections 4 and 5, one section being longer than the other for convenience, and they are hinged together by hinges, as at 6. Fastened to the section 4 is a plate 7, having outwardly-projecting bearing-eyes 8 8, which receive the trunnions of a plate 9, having a radial slot 10 in it. The plate 9 is mounted to rock horizontally, the function of which will be hereinafter described. Links 11 and 12 engage the slot 10 of the plate 9. One, 11, has a hook 13 at its outer end, while the other, 12, is made in sections, which are screw-threaded at opposite ends to engage a threaded coupling 14, and is further provided at its extreme outer end with an eye 15. The hook 13 engages the eye of a bolt 16, fastened to one side of the wagon body in alinement with the plate 9.

indicates a lock fastened to the opposite side of the wagon-body, and with it the eye 15 coacts. The lock is fastened to a plate 21, having a slot 22 therein and an outwardlyprojecting flange 23, provided with a slot 24. An operating-lever 25 is pivoted at 26 to the plate 23, and it has formed with it a notched lug 27 at a point intermediate its pivot and handle portion 28 and an extension 29 disposed opposite to that of the said lug 27. A link 30 is pivotally connected to the extension 29, and it has on its opposite end a hook 31.

A latch 32 is guided in the slot 24 and is pivoted to the plate 21 at 33. A spring 34, mounted on the pivot 33, normally holds the latch down against the lower wall of its guideslot, which maintains the outer end of the latch in the plane of the notched lug 27 when the lever 25 is thrown down. A thumb-piece on the end of the latch affords a convenient means for disengaging it from the lug.

The parts thus described, the operation is substantially as follows: Assuming the gate is open and the lock released, as in Fig. 2, and if one is desirous of closing it, as shown in Fig. 1, the gate-sections are straightened out and fitted between the cleats 2, as shown in Fig. 1, and the hook 13 of link 11 engages the eyebolt 16, while the hook 31 engages the eye 15 of the link 12. The lever 25 is now thrown down, and by reason of the edges of the lug 27 being beveled it very readily elevates the latch 32 against its spring 34, and when the notch in said lug is under the latch the latter drops into the notch and the parts are held as illustrated in Fig. 1. In throwing down the lever 25 the link 30 is drawn toward the outside of the wagon, which in turn pulls on the two links 11 and 12 and indirectly the plate 9. When link 12 is pulled,

it rocks the plate 9, and this in turn pulls the link 11 and tightens it. The links are therefore swiveled to the section 4, that they may be thrown out of the way when removing the gate. Nevertheless the swivel does not interfere with the locking device, having a direct pull on the links from side to side of the wagon when the lever 25 is thrown down. Furthermore, if the distance between the parts changes and the links become too long to be effective when the lever 25 is operated the coupling 14 is turned and the necessary adjustment is made.

While the latch 32 is essential in the practical operation of my invention, it is to be noted that the locking action is assisted by the positioning of the pivots of the lever 25 and link 30, the latter lying across the pivot of the lever 25 when the end-gate is locked in position.

In operating the end-gate the latch 32 is raised to disengage it from the lug 27, whereupon lever 25 is elevated on its pivot, which forces in the link 30 and relieves the tension on links 11 and 12. Eye 15 is disengaged from the hook 31 and the hook 13 from the eyebolt 16, and the two links 11 and 12 are free. The end-gate is partially folded, as shown in Fig. 2, to disengage the ends from the cleats 2 2, and the gate can be removed.

An end-gate and latch for the same of the character described is extremely simple and is capable of quick and easy manipulation. The arrangement of the parts allows of a positive lock, and yet a connection from side to side of the wagon-body, notwithstanding the factthat the links forming the connection are detached from the wagon when the gate is removed. Furthermore, by providing a swivel intermediate the links on the end-gate the two may be at all times fastened to each other, and at the same time free and positive action is secured in operation.

What I claim as new is 1. The combination with a wagon-body having cleats, of a sectional end-gate fitting between the cleats, a swivel on the end-gate, two links, each of the links being loosely connected at their inner ends to the swivel, one

of said links having a hook, the other link having an eye, an eyebolt on the wagon-body with which the hook of the link engages, and a locking device having a hook which en gages the eye of the other link, substantially as described.

2. The combination with awagon-body having cleats, of a sectional end-gate fitting between the cleats, a swiveled plate on the gate which has a slot, two links engaging the slot of the swiveled plate, a device on one side of the wagon-body with which one of the links engages, a lock disposed on the opposite side of the wagon-body to engage the other link, the lock comprising an eccentrically-mounted lever and a link, and a spring-latch to hold the lock in a closed position.

3. The combination withawagon-bodyhaving cleats, of an end-gate, a pair of links, a device on one side of the wagon-body with which one of the links engages, a lock on the opposite side of the wagon-body and coacting with the other link, said lock comprising a base having a slot in it, a flange extending out from the plate which has a slot in it, a lever, eccentrically mounted on the flange and provided with a notch, a hooked link pivoted to the eccentric portion of the lever and passing through the slot in the plate, a springlatch pivoted to the plate and passing through the slot in the flange and adapted to engage the notch in the lever, substantially as described.

4. The combination with awagon-body having cleats, of a sectional hinged end-gate, a locking device, a swivel mounted on a stationary base fixed to the gate, a pairof links having apertures at their inner ends which engage the swivel where by the links are adapted to be drawn taut by the locking device to hold the end-gate in position in the cleats, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS M. OAKES.

WVitnesses:

JUNIUS F. WHITING, ARZA KILLEY. 

